"Yet another attempt to spread anti-India misinformation": MEA on Pakistan's overflight clearance claim

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Pakistan's statement was aimed at misleading the public and misrepresenting India's actions. He said, "We reject the ridiculous statement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, which is yet another attempt to spread anti-India misinformation."

Connecting the timeline of events, Jaiswal clarified that India received Pakistan's request through diplomatic channels well in advance and responded within hours. He stated, "The request for overflight clearance for Pakistani aircraft carrying humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka was received by the High Commission of India in Islamabad at around 1300 hrs on December 01, 2025."

Jaiswal emphasised that New Delhi acted with urgency because the situation in Sri Lanka demanded immediate assistance. He said, "Given the urgency of humanitarian assistance, the Government of India processed the request expeditiously the same day and granted the overflight permission as per the itinerary proposed at 1730 hrs on December 01, 2025."

Reaffirming India's consistent support to Colombo, Jaiswal highlighted that India has continued to stand with Sri Lanka during natural disasters and relief operations. He stated, "India remains committed to assisting the people of Sri Lanka in these challenging times through all available means."

Even as India detailed the prompt approval issued on Monday, Pakistan continued to accuse New Delhi of creating hurdles. The Pakistan Foreign Office claimed on X that "India continues to block humanitarian assistance from Pakistan to Sri Lanka," alleging that an aircraft had been waiting "for over 60 hours now" for airspace access.

Pakistan further alleged that the clearance India issued was unusable, stating that "the partial flight clearance issued by India last night, after 48 hours, was operationally impractical: time-bound for just a few hours and without validity for the return flight, severely hindering this urgent relief Mission for the brotherly people of Sri Lanka."

At the same time, Islamabad faced separate criticism online after its High Commission in Sri Lanka shared photos of relief items that had been dispatched. The mission posted that "Relief packages from Pakistan have been successfully delivered to assist our brothers and sisters affected by the recent floods in Sri Lanka, which signifies our unwavering solidarity."

Social media users, however, pointed out visible expiry dates of October 2024 on some of the supplies.

Sri Lanka continues to suffer severe damage from Cyclone Ditwah, including flooding, landslides, and widespread infrastructure damage. India has launched Operation Sagar Bandhu to provide relief, restoration and emergency support across affected districts.

According to Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Centre, at least 410 people have died and 336 remain missing as of Tuesday morning due to extreme weather incidents since November 16. (ANI)